Hudds North/South TRA Event on Monday 20/01/14

Over 50 representatives from Tenants and Residents Associations in the two Huddersfield neighbourhoods turned up for this event. As well as time to catch up and talk to other volunteers, KFTRA arranged for Michael Gelling Chair of TAROE (Tenants and Residents of England) to attend the meeting. Michael gave an interesting talk on a new campaign being organised by TAROE to find out what tenants actually want and what the important issues are that affect social housing tenants.
Some of the issues raised were;

No rent increase above inflation

Abolish the bedroom tax

Rinfencing issues

Negative publicity

Tenants should have a huge political influence

One in five people in England live in the social housing sector, thats 10.6 million people living in 4.2 million properties.

TAROE aim to ask as many of their membership as possible to identify their concerns and priorities and these will be presented to the main political parties with the demand that the voice of 20% of the population is listened to and their concerns are met.

If you would like to take part in this important survey and add your voice to the tenant movement, then please click the link below.

KFTRA Delegates Meeting to discuss Mandatory Direct Debits

Thursday April 4th at 1.30pm in Huddersfield Town Hall

KFTRA Statement on Mandatory Direct Debit – 20/03/13

After meeting with a KNH Board representative on Monday 18/03/13, KFTRA have taken the decision to defer the presentation of their petition opposing Mandatory Direct Debits for council tenants, until after a full KFTRA Delegates meeting on the subject to be held on Thursday April 4th at 1.30pm in Huddersfield Town Hall.

The reason for this is that KNH were under the misapprehension that KFTRA supported their position that ALL tenants should pay their rent by Direct Debit, which is not the case.

While KFTRA are happy to promote Direct Debit as the preferred means of collecting rents, they would still like to see a raft of payment options available to tenants.

Neither the KFTRA Management Committee, nor any other KFTRA meeting or any, outside body on which KFTRA has a representative has ever taken a vote to determine whether KFTRA are in favour (or not) of mandatory Direct Debit.

KFTRA will be inviting Kirklees Council cabinet member Cllr Cathy Scott and officers from KMC and KNH to present their position on rent payments.

Then at the KFTRA Delegates meeting, representatives from the whole of the Kirklees Tenants movement will be asked to vote on the follwing.

A vote will be taken on whether the delegates are;

Opposed to mandatory Direct Debit.

In favour of a campaign to oppose compulsory rent payments by Direct Debit.

Of particular concern are the effects that mandatory Direct Debit would have on certain groups of people.

Older people who wish to continue to pay their rent at the Post Office.

Bankrupt people who cannot hold bank accounts

Vulnerable people who would find it difficult to budget a bank account.

KFTRA were also surprised that KMC sent out a letter to tenants informing them of the change to mandatory Direct Debits without discussing this with KFTRA beforehand. KFTRA were shocked at the tone of the letter which implied potential eviction for tenants if they fell behind in their rent payments by not paying by Direct Debit.

That this letter was sent out to elderly tenants who were not in arrears causing them great distress was shocking and we hope that an apology will be given and that steps will be taken to ensure that this mistake does not happen again.

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For more information contact Jill Long KFTRA co-ordinator on 01484 223466 or email jill.long@kftra.net

Vote on Tenant Led Budget Schemes Given to Kirklees Councillors

In a shock announcement at the Huddersfield North Area Forum on Friday 01/02/13 a KNH Officer announced that it ‘had been decided’ that Kirklees Councillors would in future be able to vote on schemes for the Tenant Led Budget.

Update (06/02/13)

KNH have said that the £1 Million + Tenant Led Budget was at risk of being lost unless Kirklees Councillors were allowed to vote on the schemes put forward.

The four Tenant Committee’s were asked last year whether they would object to this proposal. The two North Kirklees Tenant Committees voted to allow Cllrs to have a vote and the two Huddersfield ones were totally opposed to the only budget controlled by Tenants being removed from their control.

KFTRA have not been consulted or even informed about this decision and will be discussing the implications of this at their next Delegates Meeting on Monday 11th February, 10.30am, Dewsbury Town Hall

Further information will be added when known.

Contact Your Councillor

If you wish to let your local Kirklees Ward Councillor know your views on this issue, follow the link below for their contact details